1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mail receptacle for use in connection with parcels. The mail receptacle has particular utility for providing expanding capacity to accommodate mail. The mail receptacle also has particular utility for providing a substantially flexible, rotatable mail receptacle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mail receptacles for receiving mail delivered to the home are known in the prior art. Generally, these devices fall into two broad categories, wall mounted receptacles and post mounted receptacles. Each of the devices currently comprising the above categories suffers from at least one disadvantage. One disadvantage of both types of typical mailboxes is their inability to receive large or odd-shaped packages. A disadvantage of post-mounted mailboxes is that they are prone to damage as they are frequently hit, either inadvertently by vehicles or deliberately by pranksters. The typical post-mounted mailbox with rigid, unyielding construction is therefore subject to breaking upon impact. Another disadvantage of a typical post-mounted mailbox is that a user may be in harms way to either place or receive mail. Because post-mounted mailboxes must facilitate mail delivery, they frequently open to the street. Therefore, a user of a typical post-mounted mailbox stands in the street to access their mail. Thus improvements to devices for receiving mail are needed. Improved mail receptacles are desirable. A mail receptacle with an expanding mail-holding capacity would be desirable. Furthermore, a post-mounted mail receptacle that could withstand a blow without breaking would be desirable, as would a mail receptacle that could be emptied without standing in front of it.
Mail receptacles designed to withstand a side impact are known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,699,989 to Guthrie to discloses a mailbox mounting device that returns to its original position after side impact. However, Guthrie ""989 does not disclose a mail receptacle having a flexible construction. Nor does Guthrie ""989 disclose a mail receptacle having an expandable construction. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,343 to Morton discloses a mailbox mounting device. Likewise, Morton ""343 does not disclose a mail receptacle having a flexible construction, nor does Morton ""343 disclose a mail receptacle having an expandable construction.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,286 to Paschal discloses a rotatable mailbox mounting assembly. Again, Paschal ""286 does not disclose a mail receptacle having a flexible construction, nor does Paschal ""286 disclose a mail receptacle having an expandable construction. U.S. Pat. No. 3,407,997 to Wood et al. describes a rotatable mailbox. Yet, Wood et al. ""997 does not disclose a mail receptacle having a flexible construction, nor does Wood et al. ""997 disclose a mail receptacle having an expandable construction.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,640,153 to Kolstad describes a wall mounted expandable mail chute. However, Kolstad ""153 may not be adapted to be, for example, a post-mounted mailbox, as Kolstad ""153 requires the described mail chute to be incorporated into a wall. Furthermore, Kolstad ""153 does not disclose a mail receptacle having a flexible construction.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,785,960 to Belisle describes a mailbox security bag. Although Belisle ""960 describes a mailbag that may hold packages, Belisle ""960 does not disclose a somewhat rigid mail receptacle having a flexible construction. Further, Belisle ""960 does not disclose a rotatable mail receptacle.
Lastly, U.S. Design Patent No. 443,971 to Carr et al. appears to describe a mailbox having an elaborate hummingbird design. Carr does not appear to describe a mail receptacle having an expandable construction, a flexible construction, or a rotatable construction.
While the above-described devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a mail receptacle having a somewhat rigid yet flexible construction. Moreover, the above-mentioned patents make no provision for a mail receptacle having an expandable construction and a rotatable construction.
Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved mail receptacle that is constructed such that it resists breaking upon impact. Further, a need exists for a mail receptacle having an expandable construction, such that large or odd-sized packages could be accommodated. Still further, a need exists for a mail receptacle having a rotatable construction.
In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills these needs. In this respect, the mail receptacle according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides a mail receptacle primarily developed for the purposes of withstanding impacts without breaking, and providing very large mail holding capacity.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of mail receptacles now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved mail receptacle, and overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages and drawbacks of the prior art. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved mail receptacle which has all the advantages of the prior art mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a mail receptacle which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by the prior art, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a substantially impact proof mail receptacle. To attain this, the mail receptacle has a mail container mounted upon a substantially flexible post. The post may be constructed of any suitable material, such as, for example, rubber. In an embodiment, the mail container is mounted to the post such that the mail container will rotate about the post upon impact. In an embodiment, the mail container includes a large pouch that may hold a large volume of mail and/or a parcel. The pouch may be held in a pouch box when not in use.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated.
In an embodiment, the mail container may have a pouch box that is integral with the mail container. Alternately, the pouch box may be separately affixed to the mail container. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims attached.
Numerous objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description of presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In this respect, before explaining the current embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved mail receptacle that has all of the advantages of the prior art mail receptacles and none of the disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide new and improved mail receptacles that may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed. An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved mail receptacle that has a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such mail receptacle economically available to the buying public.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new mail receptacle that provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.